The Start of Something Great
by Dharma.Karma
Summary: The prequel to my story The Accident. It's the beginning of something wonderful. I'm horrible at summaries. Read it and see if you like it.
1. Chapter 1

_**I don't own anything. If I did Derek and Karen would be together on the show, but alas, I'll just have to pretend on here. **_

**Chapter 1 – The First rejection**

The final note still hung in the air, the applause drowned out thoughts about her personal life. For right now, in this moment, she was Marilyn. She was a star. The crowd continued to cheer as she left the stage. The chorus went out for curtain call to the sound of more applause. Michael Swift made his way out on stage, more applause. Finally it was her turn. Derek, who had been holding her hand, released his grip and whispered, "You're a star, go take a bow," in her ear, as she made her way on stage. The crowd stood, the applause reached the heavens and she knew that she was, at least in that moment, a star.

As the curtain fell Karen made her way to greet her new fans. She smiled and shook hands for what felt like an eternity. By the time she was finished and making her way to the dressing room the gold dress seemed to weigh a hundred pounds. As she worked her way out of Marilyn the enormity of the day seemed to sink in. She had learned blocking and choreography for an entire musical, found out that her fiancé had slept with Ivy, performed flawlessly, and was now exhausted.

A voice broke her from her thoughts. "You're still here?" he asked gently, leaning against the door frame of the dressing room.

"Oh, Derek, I just…I was just thinking." She said smiling slightly.

"You were amazing tonight." He said with a half grin that was classic Derek.  
"Thank you," she said smiling a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Are you okay? You should be out celebrating." He said softly closing the distance between them.  
"Honestly?" she asked looking at him with a tired smile.  
"I can't imagine you being anything but."

"I can't get my dress unzipped," she said laughing easily at herself. The sound of her laughter sending shivers down his spine.  
"May I help you?" he asked hesitantly, wanting so acutely to feel her warm soft skin under his fingers, but not wanting to let on that he wanted her so badly.

"Sure, that'd be great." He reached for her zipper and as he slowly unzipped the dress and saw her pale skin under the glittering gold he knew he had to have her. Smiling his ever so handsome Derek smile he asked, "Shall we go to the after party? I'm sure everyone is waiting on the star."

"Do I have to?" Karen asked halfheartedly. The Marilyn part of her wanted to go live it up. She wanted to soak up all of the success of the evening and shine like the star she knew she was, however, the Karen part of her wanted to go have a glass of wine and a long hot bath and think about what to do with her broken life.  
"Oh it's not that bad Miss Cartwright. Tonight was a smashing success and you're a star. You deserve to celebrate." He said with his eyes sparkling. "How about I buy you a drink, and then you can go back to the hotel and mope?" Winking he held out a bent arm which Karen reluctantly looped her arm through. They made their way happily a nearby bar talking quietly and laughing often.

_Oh the sound of her laughter does something to me. I haven't wanted someone like this since…Oh Derek, don't start thinking about that now. Just focus on the beautiful woman holding onto your arm and be happy. Maybe if you're lucky she'll see something more in me than just the self-centered director that I am most of the time. How can I make her know that she's different?_

"Derek?" Karen asked her voice slightly amused.  
"Yes darling?"

"What are you thinking? You're in another world. I'm pretty sure I've been talking to myself the last few minutes."  
"Oh, I was just thinking about the show" he said blushing slightly. Karen caught the blushing, but wasn't sure what to make of it so she dropped it and they continued walking easily together until they reached the bar. They made their way inside and Derek announced, "Welcome the star of our show, Miss Karen Cartwright!" which was met with thunderous applause from the rowdy cast and crew. Karen, who was blushing, said, "Thank you all so much, I…I don't know what to say." She said laughing.

Derek held up his end of the deal and bought her a drink, a glass of Champaign, to celebrate the success of the evening. When she finished the drink and realized that everyone was laughing and having a great time she decided that she'd make an exit. Derek had gone to talk to Eileen so not even he would notice her absence, or so she thought. She made her way out the door and was walking down the street when she heard running behind her. She turned to look and was surprised to find Derek hurrying after her.

"What are you doing?" she asked confused by his running.

"You left without saying goodbye?" he asked sounding a little hurt.  
"You were busy, my Champaign was finished so yea, I left." Karen said sheepishly.

"Allow me to walk you to your hotel?" he asked quickly adding, "I'd hate for something to happen to our star." Giving her a wink they once again laced their arms together.

When they made it to the hotel Derek walked her to her room and as she unlocked the door he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face and leaned in to give her a kiss. She quickly backed away from his advance.  
"Derek, I…"  
"I'm sorry, I thought…" they both started at the same time.  
"I'm sorry, I should go." He said as he turned and hurried away frustrated that she had let him get that close before rejecting him…again.

_I'm just getting started, but if no one likes it, I might not finish. Let me know what you think or if you'd like me to continue._


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't own anything. _

**Chapter 2 – The Beginning of a Friendship**

The next morning Karen awoke to her phone ringing.  
"Hello?" she asked groggily, wondering who on earth could be calling her so early.  
"You were amazing last night." Dev said smoothly.

"Dev, why are you calling me? I don't want to talk to you. Please don't call again. I'll have someone come get my stuff from your place as soon as possible." She spat out furious that he had called, angry that he had shown up at the preview, and bitter that he had awakened her from such a nice sleep.  
"But…" he started before Karen hung up on him. He called back. He called again. And again. Karen turned her phone on vibrate and tried to go back to sleep. It was of no use. Her mind was too busy thinking about all she had to do, all she had gone through in the last 24 hours. She was more than heartbroken over what had happened with Dev. She sat on the edge of her bed and wept when her phone buzzed again. Thinking that it was Dev she answered it with a terse "What do you want?"  
"Well aren't you chipper this morning?" the voice on the other end of the line asked.  
"Derek, oh…um…sorry. I thought you were someone else."  
"Obviously someone you were looking forward to talking with," he chuckled. "Have you seen the reviews from last night?" he asked seriously.

"No, why are they horrible? Oh my gosh, they hated me," she fretted. Once again she was met with snickering on the other end of the line.  
"Do you always worry this much Miss Cartwright?" he asked with a smile that could be heard in his voice.  
"Not always, just…oh who cares, what they say?" she asked getting excited at the idea of hearing the reviews.  
"Let me see, my favorite one says, and I quote, 'Magnificent! Young up and coming star, Karen Cartwright wowed the audience with her beautiful voice, and captivated the imagination by transforming flawlessly into Marilyn Monroe.' I think they loved you Miss Cartwright."

"They loved me? I…they loved me! Oh my gosh, Derek, they LOVED ME!" she said excitedly caught up in the moment and forgetting about the tears that she had been shedding moments before.  
"How about you let me in? We can go get breakfast and celebrate?" he asked standing outside her door. She opened the door and Derek was momentarily caught off guard at her outfit of short shorts and a tight fighting tank top. Her hair was still uncombed and her eyes were bloodshot from the cry fest she had before he called.  
"Are you okay? You look…" he caught himself before saying horrible, although she really did look rough. Realizing that she had been crying in her pajamas with uncombed hair Karen blushed.  
"I…I wasn't expecting company. Give me one minute." She said as she closed the door in her director's face.

Karen hurriedly got dressed for rehearsal, threw her hair in a ponytail, splashed cold water on her face and put on makeup. Opening the door she found Derek leaning against the wall humming. He stopped humming as soon as he noticed her standing there and blushed slightly. All of the reviews had talked about how amazing Karen had been and Derek was thrilled to have played a small part in making her a star. She deserved it.

The twosome walked arm in arm to a local eatery and ordered breakfast. Derek had brought the papers and they sat and ate together while he read all of the reviews of the night's performance. Karen laughed at the excitement that the reviewers, and Derek, had shown at the show. She really was a rising star. Too bad her personal life felt more like a black hole.

Her mind once again started running through the disastrous end to her relationship with Dev. Her face dropped and she started to tear up. Derek noticed immediately and stopped reading reviews.  
"What's wrong?" he asked reaching out and putting his hand softly on top of hers.

"I'm fine, just thinking about the contrast between my personal and professional lives. Stardom on one hand and a black hole on the other…you're probably happy that I'm miserable." She said looking up with big doe eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Karen saw hurt dance across his features before he recovered his stoic look and replied gently, "I want you to be the best you can be, but if it were up to me those eyes would never shed another tear." Looking away he realized that he may have overstepped his welcome so he quickly added, "It's almost time for rehearsal, I should get going. See you soon." And standing up he dropped a twenty on the table for breakfast and hurried out of the restaurant.

_What the hell just happened? When did Derek grow a heart? Oh I'm sure he didn't, he probably just doesn't want my makeup to run or my eyes to look puffy on stage. _Karen tried to convince herself, but she knew. Derek Wills had feelings for her. _Yea, feelings for me, like he has had feelings for Ivy and Rebecca…once a cheater, always a cheater. He's a heartbreak waiting to happen. _She thought as she stood up and made her way out of the eatery towards rehearsal.

**Thanks for reading. Also thanks for the comments and follows. They make me write faster. **


	3. Chapter 3

**_I don't own anything. I hope you're enjoying the story. Thanks for all of the likes, story follows and reviews! I love seeing them in my email. :)_  
**

**Chapter 3 - Rehearsal**

Karen thought that she would float through rehearsal the day after her debut, but she was wrong. Derek was harder than ever on her. At one point she was late on a step in _Mambo_ and he went nuclear on her.

"Karen! What was that? Have you forgotten the choreography already? Just because you had one good performance doesn't mean that you can just float through rehearsal without thinking. Get your head on straight. Do it again from the top!" he shouted. Everyone was used to Derek's rants so they didn't think much of it, everyone except for Ivy who thought it was hysterical that Derek was yelling at his new favorite star. She started giggling and couldn't get herself under control.

"Ivy would you mind knocking it off so that we can continue rehearsal or do I need to have everyone stop rehearsing so that you can get yourself under control?" he asked with his voice oozing hostility. Ivy's stopped laughing instantly and her face dropped to her typical pout.

"Okay, now let's run it again," he said giving Ivy his evil eye. He turned his attention to Karen and added, "Remember Karen, it's on four, not four and a half, four." His eyes softening as he looked at her.

They started _Mambo_ from the top. Karen nailed the spot she had been struggling with. Bobby stopped dancing, thinking that they were done, and Karen continued. The result was a nasty collision followed by Karen lying on her back on the stage. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, except for Derek who had jumped up and made his way to her side in a matter of second.  
"Miss Cartwright, are you alright?" his voice full of concern seeing her gasping for breath. He was unsure if she was injured or if she had just had the wind knocked out of her.

"I think…" she said still gasping for air, "I think I'll be okay." She said finally catching her breath she sat up.  
"Does anything hurt?" he asked still very concerned about his star, not only because she was the star of the show, but because he had meant what he had said earlier about never wanting to see those eyes shed another tear. He might actually be falling for this girl and it scared him. Her voice brought his mind back to the current situation.  
"No, well my ankle is a little sore, but it should be fine, I just can't stand up." Fear gripped him as his mind ran through the possible injuries that would make it hard for her to stand. It hadn't looked bad enough to injure her back. Seeing the worry and confusion on his face Karen smiled and said, "You're leaning over me Derek. If you'd move I could stand."

Derek blushed slightly and stood up offering his hand to her. As she stood up the heel of her shoe broke off and she fell into his arms. Not knowing that her shoe was the cause of the fall Derek once again panicked. "Darling, are you sure you're alright? What just happened? Was it your ankle?" he asked quickly, yet gently.  
"Derek, stop freaking out. It was my shoe. I'm fine. I promise." She said with a smile that melted his heart.

"Miss Cartwright, please don't ever do that to me again. I thought I was going to have to replace you for tonight." he said winking at her with his adorable half smile.

The cast and Karen had all noticed that he was still holding her, even though she was fine. They stood in awkward silence for a moment before he released her from his grasp and called a break for lunch.

_What is wrong with me? I have to get myself under control. She has already rejected me twice, but there is something about that girl. I've been attracted to plenty of women in my day, but my heart stopped when I thought she was hurt and it wasn't because of the show. It was because I couldn't stand to think of having to see that face in pain. You are Derek Wills. The Dark Lord of directing. You don't fall in love with your star. Sleep with her sure, but you don't fall in love._

"Okay, let's break for lunch. Miss Cartwright, find yourself a new pair of shoes please."

The cast made their way off stage and Derek once again found himself fantasizing about Karen. He looked up at the sound of her laughter. She was walking with her normal clique. It looked like Jessica and Bobby were giving her a hard time. She looked back and their eyes met. He smiled gently and she gave him a small unsure wave. The group made their way to the dressing room before heading out to lunch.

The group went to the same small café for lunch that she and Derek had patronized that morning for breakfast. Bobby and Jessica teased Karen endlessly about how Derek was in love with her. Not one to normally buy into such nonsense she actually could see where they were coming from. Was it possible that Derek had real feelings for her and didn't just want to get her into bed? She wasn't sure and she had been too much heartbreak in the last week to take a risk on a man like Derek. Jessica noticed the look on her face when Karen started thinking about Dev. She stopped her mid thought,  
"Spill it girl. What's going on with you?" she asked matter-of-factly. Karen sighed deeply and told them about Dev. There hadn't been time the day before with learning the show and the preview.  
"Oh Karen, I'm so sorry." Jessica said sympathetically.  
"He slept with Ivy?" Bobby said loud enough that heads turned in the small restaurant. Lowering his voice he asked again. Karen stared at her salad and shook her head sadly. The tears were once again threatening to fall. She took a deep breath and looked up.

"Can we please talk about something other than my love life for once?" she asked praying that they would drop it and move on to a safer topic.  
"Sure sweetie, but if you want to talk we're here for you." Jessica said sweetly. Bobby just nodded in agreement. The threesome finished their lunches and made their way back to rehearsal. Karen was relieved that they had finally changed the subject and were talking about the wonderful reviews from the performance from the night before.

The second half of rehearsal was uneventful. They ran through a few of the quick changes which were still giving Karen problems. The cast had almost three hours before they needed to be back for the show that night. Karen was planning on going back to the hotel and taking a nice long nap before her second night as Marilyn. She said good bye to Bobby and Jessica and made her way wearily to her room. She tossed her bag on the floor and fell into bed.

Two hours later she was awakened by her phone ringing.

"Hello?" she asked groggily.  
"Miss Cartwright, have you had dinner yet?" Derek asked uneasily.

"No, actually, what time is it?" she said still half asleep.

"Did I wake you?" his voice sounding slightly concerned.  
"No, well, yes, but its okay. I haven't had dinner yet. I guess I should eat before the performance."  
"Allow me to get you dinner." He said the tone not leaving much room for argument, especially as there was a knock on the door.

For the second time that day Karen opened the door and was shocked to see the person standing on the other side.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I don't own anything. Thanks for reading! Thank you for all the adds and favorites too. I do love seeing the notifications in my email. **_

**Chapter 4**

Karen had fully expected Derek to be on the other side of the door. However, she was shocked to see the smiling face of Dev.  
"What are you doing here?" her voice full of utter disbelief.

"I came to see you Karen. I can't live without you. Please, forgive me. I made a mistake, but we can move past it." Dev begged.  
"Please leave. I don't want to see you," her voice not nearly as strong as she wanted it to be.  
"Karen, don't be like this." He said as he reached out to brush a strand of hair off of her face.  
"Dev, I said leave! Now go. I don't want to see you again," she said, almost shouting.  
Dev's face fell realizing that their relationship was beyond repair. Before Dev could leave Derek arrived to pick her up for dinner, seeing the anger in Karen's dark brown eyes Derek said, "What are _you _doing here?" his voice dripping with anger.  
"She's _my_ girlfriend, what are _you_ doing here?" Dev asked still feeling possessive of Karen and not wanting her to go out with someone like Derek.  
Karen stepped between them before things could get out of hand. Looking at Dev she said, "We broke up. I am not your girlfriend," then turning to Derek she wrapped her arm in his and said, "Shall we go?" with a wink and a smile he responded, "Absolutely darling."

Karen and Derek left a startled, heartbroken Dev standing in the hallway looking lost and confused. As they walked away Karen smiled at Derek and his heart melted just a little.  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
"It looked like you could use a hand." He said smiling before growing serious and asking, "Has he been harassing you?"

"No, well other than the 30 messages he's left me, that he's bothered me since…" her voice trailing off not wanting to think about Dev and Ivy. Seeing the sadness and hurt in her eyes Derek said, "Perhaps you should change hotels? That way he can't find you. There's a room open next to mine. I'll get it all arranged and we can move your things after the show."  
"Thank you, Derek. I…a lot has happened in the last 48 hours. It's hard to process," her voice barely above a whisper.  
"If you want to talk about it…I know I said art isn't therapy and it's not but you don't need to live in misery either. Just know I'm here if you want to talk. Not as your director but as a friend." He said less confidently than she was used to him being. It really was almost as if Derek cared about her. The very idea of having a real relationship with Derek Wills made her stomach do flips, or was that just pre-performance jitters?

They arrived at a small café near the theater and ordered their meals. They ate in relative silence both mentally preparing for the night's performance. Derek's green eyes grew dark and it was obvious to Karen that something was bothering him. She hesitated in asking him about it because she didn't want to seem too forward or give him the wrong idea, but he had shown her so much kindness over the last few days that she decided she had to at least ask. He'd probably blow her off anyway.

"What are you thinking about? You have that look in your eyes." Karen said gently.

Derek looked up and their eyes met. Yes, there was definitely something bothering the dark lord.  
"I was just thinking about that loser ex-boyfriend of yours," he said. He regretted the words the second they passed through his lips. It was so unlike him to let things like that slip, but Karen did something to him that he still couldn't explain. Her hand reached across the table and rested gently on his. Her face light up in a smile and she said, "that's sweet of you." Confusion flashed across her face and she said, Wait,why are you being so nice to me? Is it a perk of being your star?" her eyes twinkling.

"I like you a lot Karen. You're not like the other women that have been in my life." He said smiling gently his eyes sparkling.  
"Derek, I…I'm flattered, but I can't, right now, I just…" she put her head down and played with her food.  
"I know, I just wanted…I shouldn't have said anything." He replied noticing the crease in her forehead as she thought about the words he had said and all that had transpired over the last 48 hours.

They made their way to the theater and got ready for the performance. Karen's mind was reeling from what Derek had said earlier and Derek noticed while everyone was warming up that Karen seemed to have her head somewhere else.

_Good job Derek. I had to go and open my mouth right before a performance. I'm the last thing she needs right now. Everyone, including me, knows that I ruin women. Karen's strong. Stronger than most, but I'm still not sure she could handle another heartbreak right now. And am I really sure that I wouldn't break her heart? What am I blathering on about? I have a show to direct in less than two hours and I'm thinking about a woman….when was the last time that happened?_

The curtain rose and Karen was once again transformed to Marilyn. She did as Derek had told her and harnessed all of the negative and confusing feelings she was having. She poured her heart out on stage and once again the crowd was mesmerized by her. As the curtain fell, Derek, like the night before, took her shaking hand in his.  
"You're a star Miss Cartwright. Enjoy every second of this," smiling he released her hand and let her go take the stage for curtain call.

She smiled and greeted everyone after the show and just like last night she was exhausted and yet strangely exhilarated not only by the performance, but also by the fact that she knew she was going to get to spend time with Derek tonight.

While she was changing out of Marilyn and returning to her life as Karen she started thinking. _When did I start looking forward to spending time with Derek? I can NOT fall for that man. He has a habit of using women and then leaving them feeling used and abused. I can't handle that right now. I need to protect myself. I need to figure out what I'm doing with my personal life. I'm so glad at least this performance went well. I wonder what Derek thought. Oh there I go, thinking about Derek again. I really must stop doing that!_

"Are you coming?" Jessica asked slightly annoyed that Karen was taking so long.  
"Oh, yeah, I just…let me grab my bag." Karen said smiling. "I can't stay out long, I'm switching hotels. Dev showed up and was harassing me," she explained before Jessica had a chance to ask "Derek saw and decided it was necessary for me to move."

Jessica's eyes lit up, "So you're moving into Derek's room?" she chided playfully.  
"No!" Karen said reaching out and gently shoved Jessica, who stumbled into Bobby, whom they had joined up with to head to the bar. Bobby caught Jessica and noticed the glint in Karen's eye that said she was holding something back.  
"You just wish you were moving into him…I mean his room." Bobby said playfully.  
"Okay, new rule no more talk about my love life and Derek in the same conversation," she said seriously. Unknown to Karen, Derek was standing right behind her when she said it.  
"Would it be so bad to be with a wonderfully handsome, powerful director Miss Cartwright?" he asked grinning mischievously.  
"Oh Derek, I didn't…" she stopped too embarrassed to form a reply.

Derek feigned hurt. Bobby and Jessica bought that it was feigned, but Karen caught the look of disappointment in his eyes the split second before his gross exaggeration of hurt.


	5. Chapter 5

_**I don't own anything except the plot. **_

**Chapter 5 **

Karen didn't see much of Derek at the bar. It was almost as if he was avoiding her. She feared that she had hurt his feelings, which made her mind once again run wild. Could Derek Wills really have feelings for her? Did the dark lord really have emotions? The very thought of it caused confusion and conflict within her.

Karen left the bar early and made her way back to her hotel room. On the way she remembered that Derek was going to get her moved to a new hotel. With the excitement of the show and after party she had completely forgotten. As she got off of the elevator to her room she saw him, leaning against the wall casually waiting for her.  
"Miss Cartwright, how nice of you to join me, I was beginning to think that you had forgotten about our arrangement." He said his eyes light up in a genuine smile.  
"Derek, I'm so sorry. I just remembered on the way here. Honestly I thought you might have been irritated or hurt from earlier." She said not believing that the words were coming out of her mouth.  
"Do you always fret so much? I could have called you if I wanted to. You deserve to have some fun and I don't mind hanging outside your door feeling a bit like a stalker," he said with a wink.

They made quick work of packing Karen's room and then headed for Derek's hotel. It was closer to the theater and much nicer than where Karen and the rest of the cast were staying. Derek had already arranged a room for her. He helped her get settled and as he was leaving he turned and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth then said, "Good night Miss Cartwright," and walked slowly out of the room.

Karen awoke to a knock on the door. She rolled over and looked at the clock which said 3:47am. She groggily got out of bed and stumbled to the door. She looked through the peep hole and was shocked to see Derek standing there. She opened the door and let him in.  
"Are you okay?" she asked her voice full of concern.

"I'm pretty sure I'm drunk" he slurred.  
"You should go to bed Derek." Karen said gently.  
"Not yet, I just want to tell you something first, then I'll leave you alone." Derek stumbled into Karen's arms. She was thankful that he only had to stumble next door when he left here room.

Karen had never seen Derek drunk. She couldn't imagine what must have happened to drive him to get this drunk the night before a preview.  
"I just think you deserve to know. I think I love you Karen Cartwright," he slurred as Karen helped him sit down on the edge of her bed.  
"Oh Derek, I can't do this right now," she said her heart breaking for Derek. She just couldn't take the risk.  
"I will win you over Karen Cartwright. Some day you'll be mine, just you wait and see."  
"Okay Derek. How about I help you to your room now?" she asked thankful that he was drunk enough to not remember this conversation in the morning, or when they woke up in four hours.

Karen helped Derek back to her room; then made her way back to her own bed. She tossed and turned while thinking about what Derek had said. It made her wonder if he really had feelings and how reckless she would have to be to trust him.

The alarm went off way too early and Karen rolled lazily out of bed. She had an hour and a half to get ready, eat breakfast and make it to rehearsal. In the next room Derek's alarm went off at the same time. He slowly rolled out of bed and got ready. They both opened their doors at the same moment.  
"How are you feeling this morning?" Karen asked quietly not wanting to hurt his head which was sure to be pounding.  
"Very well, thank you." Derek replied in a much more chipper voice than he should have had. "And how are you Miss Cartwright?"  
"Are you not hung over?" she asked in utter disbelief.  
"Oh darling, of course I'm not hung over. I wasn't that drunk." He said with a wink. "How about I buy you breakfast?" he asked offering his bent arm for her to take.  
She took his arm and they walked to a café.

_Does he remember the conversation we had last night? If so, is he going to bring it up again? Why does he do things like that? _Karen's mind raced with questions as they walked into the small café.

The duo ordered breakfast and sat down to eat. They talked quietly about the show and read the reviews from all of the papers. People were once again blown away by the up and coming star, Karen Cartwright. There was nothing but praise for Karen and the show. They were in the middle of a good laugh when Ellis walked in the café. Derek's face fell the second he saw him.  
"What's wrong?" Karen said turning to look behind her to see what had made Derek go from being so happy to so concerned in nanoseconds. "Isn't that Ellis?" she asked unaware that he was the one that put the peanuts in Rebecca's smoothy.  
"Yes, and I don't want him to…" he stopped putting on his annoyed smile and nodded his head in a Derek version of hello.

"Derek! Karen! What a coincidence to meet you both here. Together. I thought you were with Ivy?" he said looking at Derek intently.  
"Miss Cartwright and I were just discussing last night's performance." Derek said dismissing anything that Ellis was implying.

"Of course you were. Well give my best to Eileen and tell her not to forget what I said. This isn't over." He said through a clenched smile as he turned and walked to a table and sat down, staring at the couple.

Karen watched him walk away and noticed that Derek's jaw was tight and his eyes were dark with worry.  
"What was that about? I thought he quit." Karen said knowing that she was missing something. Derek stood up and grabbed her arm and led her out of the café and away from the prying eyes of Ellis.  
"Between you and I he didn't leave on his own. He was fired. If you see him in the theater please come and get me or Eileen immediately. Okay?" he asked worrying about her safety. Ellis really wanted Ivy to be Marilyn and would go to any lengths to make that happen. He had already poisoned one star, Derek couldn't think about something happening to Karen, but he didn't want to give her all the details either. The last thing he needed to do was to worry her right now. There was still work to do on the show. She couldn't be distracted by that little creep.

Karen and Derek made their way to the theater where they went their separate ways. Derek went immediately to find Eileen. He needed to have words with the women who refused to call the police on that menace Ellis.  
"Eileen!" Derek shouted walking towards the producer.  
"Good morning Derek." She said smiling.  
"Don't good morning Derek me; I just had a little run in with Ellis. He told me to remind you that this isn't over. What the hell does that mean?" he was still shouting and his forehead was creased deeply with worry.  
"Don't worry about it Derek. It's under control." Eileen said her lips curled in a fake smile.

"Don't worry about it? Don't WORRY about it? How can you stand there and tell me not to worry about it. He almost killed Miss Duvall and you let him just walk away as if nothing happened. He put her life and this show in jeopardy and I won't allow it to happen again. You either call the police or I will." Derek shouted with deadly seriousness.

"Okay, I'll call the police, but I don't have any proof. He's smart Derek and the show is better for you it and you know it." Eileen whispered back in stark contrast to Derek's shouting.

"Would it be better if he poisoned Miss Cartwright? Because that's his next move. He's always been on Ivy's side of this battle and he's not going to hurt Karen, not on my watch he's not." His voice was quieter emphasizing the seriousness of what he was saying.

"I'll take care of it." Eileen quipped.

_**What do you think about Derek in the chapter? Is he getting too sappy? Let me know what you think. **_

_**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! **_


	6. Chapter 6

**_I don't own anything. Thanks for all the likes and follows and especially the reviews! Hope you enjoy the chapter. :)_  
_MsReadalot2012 this chapter is especially for you. :)_**

**Chapter 6**

Rehearsal started and it quickly became obvious to the cast that Derek was in one of his moods.  
"No, no NO!" he shouted as they were doing _National Pastime._ "Karen, you come in on three. Do it again!"  
They started again and Karen, once again was behind. "Stop! Miss Cartwright, do you know how to count? You come in on THREE. Now get it right. Run it again!" he shouted quickly losing his patience with his favorite star. They ran _National Pastime _again and Karen came in on three, just like she was supposed to. As they finished the number Derek started shouting for them to get ready to run _Mambo._ They finally made it through the first half of Derek's notes and he released the weary cast and crew for lunch.

As Karen was walking towards the green room Derek caught her "What is wrong with you today?" he snapped at her.  
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You've obviously got something stuck up your butt today." She said knowing that she was the only person in the cast or crew that could get away with talking to him like that.  
"I want the show to be at its best tonight, but you seem to be content with mediocre. Just because you've done well doesn't mean you can't do better. You need to focus."

"Okay, I'll do better, geez Derek." She said unsure of what had happened to the sweet man she had been seeing so much of the past few days. Maybe he had decided that she wasn't really what he wanted and would be moving on to someone new. The thought of Derek moving on filled Karen with a sadness that she just couldn't explain.

Karen caught up with Bobby and Jessica and they headed to lunch. The group sat together and ate their lunch, joking easily with each other. When they were finished with lunch they headed back to the theater. They all dropped off their stuff in the dressing room and headed towards the stage. Karen started walking with them when she realized that she had forgotten her lip gloss. She hated practicing with dry lips so she turned and returned to the dressing room alone. As she walked in the door she heard noise by her bag. She walked towards her bag and saw Ellis rifling through her bag.  
"What are you doing?" she asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I was just checking up on Ivy. She just left and I um…I dropped my keys and was looking for them. How's the show going?" he asked trying to act innocent.

"The show is fine, but you need to leave. Now." She said remembering the conversation she had with Derek over breakfast.

"No need to get hostile, I'm leaving." He said as he hurried past Karen to the door. Karen got her lip gloss and put it on. It tasted funny, but she didn't think anything of it. It was a new brand after all.

She walked into rehearsal and Derek was already yelling for them to take their places for _History Is Made at Night_. Karen was hoping that she'd have a chance to talk to him before rehearsal started, but she didn't want to chance trying to talk to him with him in the mood he was in. They made it through _History_ with very few problems, but Karen was noticing that she was feeling a little light headed. Before she had time to think about the light headedness, she was struck with nausea, shortness of breath and dizziness. She missed her cue to _Wolf_.  
"Miss Cartwright!" Derek bellowed across the theater, "What seems to be the problem?"  
Karen stumbled out of the wings onto stage and Derek knew instantly that something was very wrong. Before anyone else could react, he was at her side.  
"Darling, are you okay? What's happening?" Derek asked with his voice full of concern.

"I don't know. I…I went…lip gloss. Ellis." She panted trying desperately to catch her breath.  
"Ellis was here? What did he do? Karen, please." Derek begged, trying to get as much information as he could. He turned around and shouted to the concerned cast and crew for someone to call 911.

Derek cancelled rehearsal and told everyone to be back in six hours and then followed the ambulance to the hospital.

"Karen Cartwright? I need to find Karen Cartwright." He said in a panic to the nurse at the front desk.  
"Is she a patient here?" the nurse asked unfazed by Derek's urgent tone.  
"Of course she's a bloody patient here. Why else would I be asking you to help me locate her?" he spat out angrily.  
"One moment, she's in trauma two. Are you family?" The nurse asked. Derek knew he wouldn't be able to see her if he wasn't family. Without thinking he replied, "yes, I'm her fiancé."  
"Right this way" the nurse said sweetly.

When he walked into her room he was taken aback by what he saw. There was his star, his Marilyn, looking so small and fragile. He stopped in the door way before continuing towards her. He sat down in a chair next to her. She had an IV in her hand and oxygen in her nose. She was also hooked up to various machines that seemed to monitor everything. Derek reached out and held her hand gently in his own. With his touch her eyes fluttered open and she smiled a weak smile. Derek brought her hand to his mouth, gently as to not disturb the IV and softly kissed her cool pale skin.  
"How do you feel darling?" Derek asked his voice back to sweet and gentle, like a switch had been flipped.  
"Better. I don't know what happened. I went and got lip gloss and Ellis was there, he was standing right next to my bag. He said he lost his keys, but I didn't believe him. My lip gloss tasted really sweet, but I didn't think anything of it until now. The doctor ran some tests and found that I have Ethylene Glycol Poisoning. I guess someone poisoned me with antifreeze."

"Why didn't you tell me that you'd seen Ellis?" his voice almost hostile.  
"There wasn't time before rehearsal started and you haven't exactly been overly nice to me today." Karen said trying not to get emotional.  
"I told you to tell me immediately. Was I not clear?" his concern quickly being replaced by irritation.

"You haven't been the most accessible today Derek. I didn't know it was that important. He left." A machine started beeping a warning. Derek's face changed instantly.  
"Are you okay? What's the beeping for? I'm sorry, darling." He said feeling the panic rising at the machine's insistent beeping.  
"I'm fine, this thing just fell off." She said holding up a chest lead. Within seconds a nurse was in the room to fix the faulty equipment.

"Don't you ever scary me like that again Miss Cartwright. I thought…" he feigned irritation, but Karen could see the concern in his eyes.

Before the twosome could talk farther the doctor walked in.  
"I have good news Miss Cartwright," he said gently "You're going to be fine. You should be out of here in about an hour."  
"That's excellent news. Will she be able to perform tonight?" Derek asked hesitantly.

"If she feels up to it, there shouldn't be a problem. We have given her the antidote and it was caught really early. Also, it would seem that there wasn't much antifreeze consumed. The police are here to ask you a few questions. Are you up for talking to them?" he asked looking tenderly at Karen.

"Yes. That'd be fine." She said closing her eyes and bracing herself for the police's questions. Karen sat up nervously and Derek took her hand in his.

"I'm Detective Davis and this is my partner Detective Sullivan. We have a few questions for you Miss Cartwright," the first officer said kindly.  
"Do you know of anyone that would want to hurt you?" asked the other man who had been identified as detective Sullivan.

"No, not that I know of, I mean Ivy wouldn't hurt me, would she?" Karen asked insecurely, looking at Derek for guidance and comfort. Derek winked at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze then turned to face the officers and said, "Ellis Boyd. He poisoned another woman to help Ivy get the part that Miss Cartwright is playing. I think he'd do it again." He said confident that he was right in where the blame lay. Karen was clearly shocked to learn that Ellis had been the one to lace Rebecca's smoothie with peanuts, turned to Derek and said, "What? How could you not tell me this? Why wasn't he arrested? What…how?" her mind struggling to process this new information.

Detective Sullivan interrupted her thoughts asking, "Who is Ellis Boyd?"

Karen sat in disbelief as Derek calmly filled the detectives in on who Ellis was and what he had done to Miss Duvall. She couldn't believe that he would actually hurt someone so that Ivy could be Marilyn.  
"Miss Cartwright?" the detective asked breaking Karen out of her thoughts, "Have you seen Mr. Boyd recently?"

"Yes. I've seen him twice today. He was at breakfast this morning and then I saw him squatting next to my bag after lunch. I didn't think anything about it, but I didn't know about Rebecca" she said, turning to Derek and giving him the evil eye.

"I didn't want to worry you darling. I didn't really think he'd hurt you and Eileen told me that she was going to call the police. I had no idea he'd come after you like that." Derek said being partially honest. He had feared that Ellis would hurt Karen, but he thought he was overreacting.

_Derek old man, you've done it now. You were trying so hard to protect her that you almost got her killed. Fat lot of good that did her, and to top it off she's angry at me and rightfully so. I always have a woman angry at me and it's never bothered me before, I don't know what it is about Miss Cartwright that makes me care so much about how she feels towards me. I haven't cared about a woman like that since…her._

"Mr. Wills," the detective pulled Derek out of his thoughts, "do you know where we might find Ellis Boyd?"  
"No, I don't, but I would imagine that Eileen has his address in her office. I can ring her and find out if you'd like."  
"That's okay. We need to talk to this Eileen as well. You say she knew that he had poisoned this other woman and didn't bother to call the police?" The detective asked skeptically. Derek simply nodded.  
"Well that's all we have for now. If you think of anything else of use, please give one of us a call." He said handing them each a card. "Hope you're feeling better real soon." Detective Davis said as he and his partner turned to leave the small hospital room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The doctor came in and released Karen one hour before she needed to be at the theater to get ready for that night's performance. Derek had prepared Ivy for the possibility that she would be playing Marilyn. Karen, however, decided that she felt alright and wanted to go on. She was determined not to let Ellis get the best of her.

The performance was beautiful, just like the previous nights. Derek was amazed that Karen could perform so well under the circumstances. Someone had tried to kill her mere hours before and yet, she was on stage singing her heart out. As Karen was being congratulated on a job well done by her adoring fans, Derek found her and whispered in her ear, "You amaze me Karen Cartwright. Come out to dinner with me. I have something for you." Then he winked and walked away.

Karen finally made her way to the dressing room and transformed out of Marilyn and back to herself. She was the last to leave and she found Derek leaning against the wall outside the dressing room, just waiting for her…with a bouquet of beautiful red roses.

"For the star of the show, who has overcome more than any other star I've ever known. You're magnificent Miss Cartwright." He said his eyes sparkling with something that she had not seen before. Karen had a feeling that Derek wasn't finished with surprises for her tonight.

They walked arm in arm to one of Derek's favorite sea food restaurants in Boston. As they walked in the staff recognized him instantly and all gave them a very warm welcome. They by-passed the long line and headed straight for "Derek's table" as the staff all called it.

"I take it you come here often?" Karen asked shyly as they walked back to their table.

"I've been here a time or two, yes." Derek winked as they sat down and started looking at the menu.

They ordered their meals and talked easily for a few moments. There was a pause in the conversation and Karen noticed that Derek was staring at her.  
"What?" she asked insecurely, "do I have something in my teeth?" Derek laughed, the most amazing sound that Karen had ever heard, which only served to confuse her further.  
"No darling, you don't have anything in your teeth, I was just thinking about how amazing you are. There isn't anyone else I know that could have gone through what you went through today and performed as beautifully as you did. Your inner strength never ceases to amaze me."

"Why are you being so nice to me? It's so…so un-Derek like." Karen said playfully.

"It's not un-Derek like at all. What you need to realize is that there is a work Derek, who is a hardnosed, stubborn, jack ass, and then there's me." Smiling broadly he reached across the table and held Karen's hand.

"Derek, I'm not ready for anything more than friendship right now. I like you, I really do, but you…"she stopped, not wanting to hurt his feelings, but also not wanting to give him the wrong idea.

"I know love." Derek said quickly, then changing the subject he said, "I have another surprise for you. Are you ready?" His eyes were sparkling in the candle light with a childlike joy.

"Yes, I'm ready. Spill it." Karen chided happily.

"It's been decided that you are officially the new Marilyn. When we make it to Broadway, you my love, will be Marilyn Monroe."

Karen's jaw dropped. She knew that the reviews had been positive, but she hadn't expected them to make a decision about Marilyn so soon. She was beyond excited.  
"Well don't sit there catching flies. Say something."  
"I, I'm going to be a star!" she squealed.

"No love, you're already a star. You're just going to be on Broadway."

"I'm going to be on Broadway!" Karen yelled drawing attention from the other patrons, but not noticing or caring she yelled again "I'm going to be on BROADWAY!"

"Yes you are" Derek said laughing.

_There's that laugh again. I don't think I've ever heard him laugh before tonight. Not that deep laugh. I want him. No! I can't want him. I just broke up with Dev, my life is a mess and HE is a womanizing jerk. I know what would happen if we started something. I would end up with a broken heart. AGAIN! No, the last thing I need is for another man to break my heart. I just need to stay focused on myself. Focused on the fact that I'm going to BROADWAY! Not his laugh, his beautiful, amazing laugh. I need to not focus on that._

The twosome spent the rest of the night chatting effortlessly. Finally as the restaurant was closing they made their way back to the hotel. As they walked arm in arm down the empty streets of Boston Karen knew she was falling for the man beside her. The way he laughed freely with her stole her heart. She wished that she could spend all of her time with him, with this Derek, the nice, sweet, adorable Derek, not the tyrannical director that everyone else saw.

They made it to their hotel and up to their rooms. They said goodnight and Derek turned to go into his room, but before he could, Karen took his arm and spun him around to face her. She gave him a hug and whispered in his ear, "Thank you for being there for me today." He could feel her breath on his neck and it sent shivers down his spine. He closed his eyes, his forehead wrinkling ever so slightly as he took in her sweet scent. A small moan escaped his lips as she gently kisses his cheek. She quickly disappeared into her room, leaving a stunned Derek in the hallway.

_**Sorry the chapter is so short. I have an idea for the next chapter. Let me know if you want me to add anything and I'll try to work it in. Hope you enjoyed! Oh, and if you liked it and wanted to review, that'd be GREAT! **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**I don't own anything.  
Sorry this update is so late. I'm on vacation and have limited access to internet and little time for writing. Hope you enjoy the chapter! **_

**Chapter 8**

Two weeks later the twosome was sitting in a small café enjoying breakfast. They were discussing the previous night's performance, like every morning when Derek stopped talking midsentence and started staring at his favorite star.

"What?" Karen asked wondering what was going through his head.  
"I was just thinking and I've decided I have to tell you." He said more confidently than he felt.  
"Tell me what?" the smiling Karen asked innocently having no idea what he was talking about.

"I know that everyone thinks I'm a womanizing jerk, and I must admit that I have a certain set of hardwired experiences that have taught me that it's the best way to deal with women, but there's something different about you Karen Cartwright. I don't want to…I don't just want you in the bedroom, I want to know you. I want to wake up in the morning with you and go to bed with you at night knowing that you'll always be there. I want to be the one that makes you laugh. I want you." Taking a deep breath he waited for a response. All he got was a blank stare. He continued, "Please say something." Karen recognized the worried look on his face instantly and found her voice, "how can I trust you?" she asked hesitantly.

"I don't know. How could you not trust me? Have I done anything to you to break your trust?"

"No, I guess you haven't. You do have a reputation though"

"Yes, I know about my reputation. To sleep with women right away and then break their hearts, but that's not what this is. It's the reason we've been going slow. It's the reason I've bought you flowers every night. I have never done that for another woman. It's also the reason I planned a little surprise for you today."

"A surprise?" Karen asked the smile on her face evident in her voice. How he loved the sound of her smile.

"Yes. I quite think you'll like it."

"What is it?" she asked excitedly.

"Well if I told you it wouldn't be much of a surprise, but you'll like it. Just you wait." He said with a smirk.

Karen spent all of rehearsal wondering what Derek's surprise was. The two met for lunch at the same small café, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the cast and crew, just like they had been for the last two weeks. As they walked in together Karen, with a grin the size of Texas, asked "Do I get my surprise now?" Derek laughed his beautiful deep laugh and shook his head yes. "Close your eyes," he said mischievously wrapping his hands around her arms from behind and leading her gently into the café.

"Okay, open them." He said the smile audible in his voice.

Karen was completely taken aback to see her parents standing in front of her.

"Mom! Dad! What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't get here?" she said hugging them both tightly.  
"Mr. Wills here arranged it. He's quite persuasive." Her father said smiling at Derek. Karen turned to face Derek and looking into his sparkling cool green eyes she said, "You did this? For me?" she asked, touched that he would fly her parents to Boston just for her. It was so romantic and sweet and thoughtful, so un-Derek. Maybe she could trust him after all. Derek just smiled at her, melting her heart and she knew she had to be with this amazing man standing before her.

She gave him a giant hug and kissed him gently on the cheek, whispering thank you and holding onto him a moment longer than necessary. Karen took in the sweet, woody scent of Derek's cologne as they embraced and her parents noticed the light in their little girl's eyes that they hadn't seen since long before she met Dev.

As they broke from their embrace Derek said, "I should be off and allow you three to catch up. I'll see you soon Karen," he said with a half smile.  
"Oh, please stay for lunch. It's the least we can do for you." Karen's mother said sweetly.  
"You're sure I wouldn't be interfering?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course not, don't be silly, we'd love to get to know you, Karen has told us so much about you." She said with sparkle in her eye.

"Well then, it's decided." Smiling widely he took his seat and they all ordered.

The foursome talked easily about Bombshell and Karen. There were many stories shared about when Karen was growing up and how she had always wanted to be on Broadway. Roger, Karen's dad, explained to Derek how he used to think she wasn't cut out for the world of theater.  
"She's just so sweet and kind to everyone I thought for sure she'd break in this big tough industry," he said uneasily, obviously upset with himself for doubting his daughter. Before he continued, Derek said  
"She's one of the toughest stars I've had the pleasure of seeing rise to stardom. There's something very special about Karen Cartwright. She's going to conquer Broadway in record time." Derek smiled and unconsciously reaching out and taking Karen's hand. She smiled at him and mouthed "thank you" relieved that her father was finally able to see that she was making it on her own.

Karen and Derek both noticed the time and said their goodbyes. They left Mr. And Mrs. Cartwright and made their way back to rehearsal. As they walked next to each other, Karen's hand found Derek's and her fingers brushed gently against the back of his hand. Without looking, he took hold of her hand and their fingers intertwined naturally. They both smiled warmly and continued walking. Without discussing it, they both released their hands when they came into view of the theater. They were excited to have taken the step, but neither of them really wanted the cast or crew to know that they were getting closer. There were enough rumors flying about without adding fuel to the fire.

That night's performance of Bombshell was Karen's best yet. After the show she went and stood in the lobby of the theater talking with her fans. She took the time to talk to as many people as she possibly could before the theater emptied and she found her way wearily back to the dressing rooms. She changed out of Marilyn and made her way out of the dressing room. As she walked out she was greeted by her mom, dad and Derek. They were talking quietly together. Derek seemed quite amused and Karen was instantly worried about what embarrassing thing her parents were telling the great Derek Wills. She smiled to herself as she watched three people she cared about interacting and getting along so well, even if she was going to be embarrassed when she found out what they were talking about.

The threesome noticed Karen and they all smiled warmly at her. Plans had been made for the four of them to go to dinner. Derek had gotten reservations at his favorite seafood place again. They walked happily along the empty streets of Boston, talking effortlessly about the show and how brilliant Karen was. Karen, blushing slightly, wrapped her arm through Derek's and put her head on his shoulder.  
"I couldn't do it without this man. He's the real genius behind the show." She said smiling up at him.

"You make my job easy Miss Cartwright," he said kissing the top of her head gently. They both smiled warmly at each other and continued on their way.

After dinner the two couples went their separate ways. Derek walked Karen back to their hotel and up to her room. As he turned to leave, Karen reached out and grabbed his arm. Without saying a word she closed the gap between them and leaned in closely. He could feel her breath on his face and wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but he was too afraid that she wasn't ready and he'd scare her off so he just stood there waiting for Karen to close the minuscule gap.

"Thank you for my surprise Derek. It was so sweet of you" she whispered softly before gently placing her lips on his. The kiss started soft and tender. Derek reached his hands up her back and placed them gently on the back of her head, pulling her in closer as the kiss intensified. Karen had one hand on his face and the other behind him, pulling him closer to her as well. As they slowly released their grip on one another they both had huge smiles.  
"Good night Derek," she whispered as she gave him another tender kiss on the lips before turning and opening her door.

Karen leaned up against the closed door and sighed a deep contented sigh. She had just kissed the Dark Lord himself and it had been AMAZING. She could hardly wait for their lips to touch again.

Derek leaned against the other side of the same door and sighed. He was in awe of Karen Cartwright and the kiss had done something to him that no other kiss had done before. He was positive that he was in love with Karen and he'd do anything to make sure she felt the same about him.

_Hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you think. I love all feedback! _


	9. Chapter 9

_**I don't own anything. I just borrow the characters and hopefully make them dance for you. Please let me know what you think of the chapter. **_

**Chapter 9**

The next morning Karen and her parents met for breakfast at the small café that had become her and Derek's morning spot. Karen was a little bit disappointed that Derek wasn't joining them, but on the other hand was relieved that she would get a chance to hear what her mom and dad really thought about him. She and her parents had always been close and her mother had never been a huge fan of Dev's. She always said there was something untrustworthy about him, but Karen hadn't listened. Now, she was prepared to hear everything her sweet mother had to say about Derek Wills.

Karen found herself fighting for the courage to bring up Derek, however. She knew that her mom had a knack for reading people and she wanted things to work out with her and Derek. As she was working up the nerve to ask about him her mom broke the silence by saying, "I really like Mr. Wills. He seems like a good man. Are things serious between you two?" Karen released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her face lit up just thinking about their kiss and a smile formed on her blushing face.

"Things aren't serious," she said still grinning from ear to ear, "yet" she added in a soft whisper.

Karen's mother knew that look. It was look she still got when thinking about Roger. She was so thankful to finally see the look on Karen's face. She had been fond of Dev and while she didn't like that he had broken her daughter's heart, she did like the fact that he was out of her life.

The threesome continued eating their breakfast and talked about the show and life back in Iowa. Her parents filled Karen in on what all of her friends were doing and how proud everyone was of her playing Marilyn. When they finally finished eating Karen realized she was going to be late for rehearsal. She said a quick goodbye to her parents and hurried toward the theater, hoping that no one would notice that she was late.

As she walked into the theater she heard his beautiful voice bellowing, "Karen Cartwright?" She broke into a full run and burst out on stge. Their eyes met and he winked at her then yelled, "Miss Cartwright. How nice of you to join us for notes this morning," his voice dripping with sarcasm and irritation, but his eyes dancing with excitement as he gazed at her.

"I'm sorry I…" she started before Derek cut her off.  
"I don't need your excuses Miss Cartwright. We have work to do. Let's start with Mambo. The lighting was off last night," he bellowed, getting rehearsal started.

The rest of rehearsal was mundane. Karen and Derek met her parents for lunch and had a nice time chatting and catching up. Karen was amazed at how well Derek and her folks got along. She had worried before they met that it would be awkward. Karen had said a few not so nice things about the Dark Lord before they got together and she was relieved that her parents didn't seem to be holding a grudge. As they chatted effortlessly, Derek reached out and laid his hand on top of Karen's. They smiled at each other and her parents smiled, happy that the new young couple was comfortable enough to share their little expressions of love in front of them.

When everyone finished eating Derek and Karen started to make their way back to the theater. They were holding hands and laughing when they heard a voice behind them say, "Well look at the cute couple. I guess I know what she has that I don't."

The cute couple turned to face Ivy who was standing behind them with her hands on her hips, a smile on her lips and hatred in her eyes. Derek's beautiful green eyes grew dark with rage as the rest of his body fought for control. He took a deep breath and said through clenched teeth, "And what exactly would that be?"

Ivy continued smiling her overly sweet, obviously fake smile and said, "Oh, I think you know," her eyes glancing down at Karen and Derek's intertwined hands. Before Karen could say a word Derek forced a smile and replied tersely "I don't think you understand Ivy, Miss Cartwright didn't choose to sleep with the director just to get the part. She has integrity which is one of the many things she has that you seem to be lacking."

Ivy's face dropped as she turned and walked away in silence. Derek turned to face Karen who was standing there staring at the ground. He gently reached out with one finger and lifted her head up until their eyes met. Derek noticed the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Are you okay, Darling?" he asked his eyes and voice full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I just…" her voice trailed off and her big doe eyes were filled with concern.  
"You just what? Started believing that I gave you the part so that you would sleep with me?" his voice was slipping back into director tone. "I tried that once and I apologized for it." The anger and hurt was now evident in his tone and his body language. "Do you really not trust me at all? After all that we've been through and all that I did to show you that I care about you…all that I did to show you that I love you, you doubt me?"

Karen's face light up as Derek spoke. The passion and hurt in his eyes were more than enough to ease her fears. She reached out and gently took his hand.  
"No Derek, I didn't think that," she lied just a little "I was thinking that now that Ivy knows we don't have to hide from the cast and crew anymore and we can do this wherever we want" she whispered as she reached up and gave him a long passionate kiss. The tension melted from Derek's shoulders as he leaned into Karen as their kiss deepened. As they pulled away from each other Derek's eyes were smiling as he whispered, "Now that I could get used to Miss Cartwright."

The couple walked into the theater hand in hand ready to face the gossip that they knew would fly.

_**I had a really hard time with this chapter. I think there's only 1 or 2 chapters left. Let me know if there's something you want to see. Hopefully life will settle down a bit and I'll be able to write the next chapter faster.**_


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